Final Fantasy Frontier 108 (Patreon)

"Do you enjoy fooling around while others are working hard?" asked Ashe, standing with her arms crossed.

"I've searched the Draklor Laboratory twice over," replied Andrew, earning himself a disproving frown and a curious look from Fran as he wrapped his hand around the latter, resting it on her waist as he added, "And Fran here just gave me a good idea about where he might be. Even if she's wrong, I should be able to find out more by visiting the location directly."

Increasing Ashe's frustration, Fran rested her head on Andrew's shoulder, appending, "I believe he never left the Leviathan. Regardless, Judge Ghis should know where he's been transferred."

Though she narrowed her eyes disapprovingly at Fran, Ashe directed her words to Andrew, asking, "When do you plan on leaving? I will accompany you."

Raising his brows, Andrew asked, "Are you sure? I'm not going there to pick a fight or negotiate. If you're present—"

"I have made my decision," said Ashe. "We will depart once I've had a chance to rest and change my clothes."

As she was presently wearing a sports bra and a pair of spat-like shorts provided by Andrew, Ashe wasn't in a condition to head out. Instead of departing to prepare, however, she sat on the opposite side of Andrew as Fran, hand extended as she said, "Water. I would quench my thirst."

"Someone's in a 'regal' mood..." remarked Andrew, retrieving a canteen from his Item Box despite Ashe having several in her own. He knew she was attempting to exert herself and reinforce her position, but while he supported such antics with Garnet, Andrew felt Ashe was overplaying her hand out of jealousy.

"..."

Feeling that arguing with Andrew would only prove his point, Ashe rolled her eyes and looked to where Penelo was still hard at work, sweat coating her body and beading down her face as she tried to create and maintain a human-sized sand golem. Then, gazing down at the back of her left hand, bearing the symbol of Belias, she asked, "How long, I wonder, until I'll be able to carry myself with such wanton disregard...?"

"You could do so right now if you really wanted to," answered Andrew, drawing Ashe's gaze as he added, "The caveat is that you'd become a tyrant or a mass murderer. That's the peculiar thing about power. When you wield it to protect others, it never feels like you have enough. When you wield it without a care in the world, particularly against the weak and infirm, even a moderate amount of power can make you feel like a god. I mean, imagine loosing Belias on a city like Archades and then teleporting away. Other than me, who could stop you?"

"You're right..." muttered Ashe, staring at her hand and channeling some of her Magick Power into Belias's seal. With the Dawn Shard as a power source, not only could she summon it whenever she desired, but its might would far exceed what it exhibited in Raithwall's Tomb. If unleashed on a civilian populace, it was a power that could extinguish the lives of tens of thousands within minutes...

Turning her hand over and balling it into a fist, Ashe asked Andrew the question that had bothered her for some time, specifically, "How am I to reclaim my throne without starting a war? At this rate, it's only a matter of time before Uncle Halim's fleet engages the 8th and 12th Fleets..."

Having prepared for such a question, Andrew looked up as if he were in deep thought as he said, "The simplest way to resolve things is by killing Vayne. However, if you assassinate him without undermining his scheme, someone is bound to take his place. Dalmasca might be able to rebuild in that period, but it would be...challenging to catch up to Archadia's military growth and technological advancements..."

"I was hoping for a solution, not a reminder of the grim reality that awaits my ascent to the throne..." muttered Ashe.

"It's better to hear the truth than delude yourself with platitudes and lip service," remarked Andrew. "As for 'solutions,' the best thing to do is join hands with Larsa, Vayne's younger brother. He's still just a kid, but he has a strong sense of honor and should be working to undermine his brother's schemes in secret. If he becomes Emperor, Archadia will shoulder at least some of the costs of Dalmasca's restoration."

"But at what cost...?" asked Ashe. She might not be particularly gifted at politics and business dealings, but she knew Archadia would only supply them funds if they received collateral or had something to gain. Larsa may be willing to finance them to make amends for his brother's wrongdoings, but that didn't mean the Senate or his people would consent. Very few taxpayers would be happy to learn their taxes were being invested in the restoration and infrastructure of another nation, especially one they were recently at war with...

"It's fine," assured Andrew, reaching up to caress Ashe's head. When she raised her gaze to meet his, he then said, "Even if the Empire doesn't lend their assistance, I should be able to bankroll Dalmasca's restoration. The key point I was trying to make is that if you want to avoid war, you'll need to expose or eliminate the people advocating it. The alternative is cowing the enemy into submission or frightening the populace into opposing the onset of conflict. But that's just a stop-gap measure, at best."

"You speak as if you're well-acquainted with such measures," Fran noted. But before Andrew could respond, Ashe asked, "Assuming I were willing to take your advice, how would I go about it? If my memory serves, Larsa Solidor is naught by twelve years old. It would be at least four years until he is recognized as an adult, even within the Empire. So long as his father and a single member of the Senate remains, he could not contend for the position of Emperor."

"Vayne will see to that," said Andrew, clarifying, "To further his ambitions, Vayne will need to eliminate his father. Then, to ensure the Senate doesn't get in the way, he will likely frame them for the crime. The allegations may not hold up in court, but it won't matter. Vayne is wildly popular among his people, many of whom resent the Senate as old fools who only care about increasing their wealth and status. Some might condemn him on principle, but the majority would cheer him on even if he marched the Senators into the street and executed them personally."

"Then what's to stop him from doing the same with his younger brother?" asked Ashe.

"Sentiment. Both his own and the public's," said Andrew. "Larsa is still just a young boy. Even if Vayne wanted to, he couldn't paint him in the same light as his father and the Senators. If anything, he would groom Larsa to be his adversary, use him to gather his enemies, and then eliminate them when it's most convenient."

"He sounds like a monster..." remarked Fran. 

Shaking his head, Andrew contended, "That's the scariest thing about him and also why I keep forewarning our precious Princess here to be mindful of her decisions. Vayne might commit heinous acts, but his aspirations are similar to Raithwall's. He seeks to unify Ivalice through conquest and then usher in an era of prosperity backed by Archadian technology."

"Vayne and Raithwall are nothing alike...!" Ashe protested.

"So you say, but history rarely records unbiased fact," contended Andrew. "We know Raithwall unified Ivalice through conquest. What he did after is something only the people of that period can attest to. If it turned out he was a ruthless tyrant, do you think any scholars would dare publish a text attesting otherwise? History is dictated by those in power."

"I've heard enough...!" exclaimed Ashe, rising to her feet with a start and storming off in a huff. She was well acquainted with how the truth could be distorted as she had been reported dead by her Uncle, and Basch had been framed for her father's assassination. Neither was true, but from the people's point of view, they were objective facts. If such was possible in a mere two years, she didn't want to imagine how drastically facts could be altered in a thousand...

"Will you not follow her...?" asked Fran, still with her head on Andrew's shoulder.

Shaking his head, Andrew answered, "I'll give her some time to wash up and change clothes as I search for Vossler. I may seek her out then, but it would be better to let her return of her own accord."

"Mmm...perhaps..." muttered Fran, raising her head and stretching her arms over her head as she added, "But most women yearn to be pursued. If you wait for her to come to you, she could get lost or conclude you've lost interest..."

With Fran rising to her feet, Andrew reached out to grab her hand, smiling as he asked, "Are you sure you're speaking on Ashe's behalf and not your own...?"

Looking back to meet Andrew's gaze, Fran narrowed her eyes ever so slightly as she responded, "I am the huntress who patiently stalks her prey. Even if you were to escape to the world's edge, I would find you..."

"In other words, you're marinating me..." mused Andrew, but his words were lost in translation. Fran knew what marinating was, but not in the context of priming someone to be more susceptible to influence.

Shifting the burden to Andrew, Fran casually asserted, "If your yearning becomes too much to bear, you need only to find me when I'm alone. I'll not turn you away or deny you."

Raising his brows, Andrew was tempted to point out they could be alone right then and there, but Fran preempted him with narrowed eyes and a sultry smile, stating, "But if you can wait, the reward will more than make up for any frustration you're experiencing."

Releasing his hold on Fran's hand and raising his own in mock surrender, Andrew responded, "I'm good at waiting," with a cheeky smile. Fran gave a curt, ostensibly approving nod in response. Then, as she planned to join Ashe in the bath, she promptly departed the improvised training chamber, leaving Andrew and Penelo alone.

Seizing the opportunity, Penelo allowed her sand construct to disappear and made her way over, wiping the sweat from her brow with the back of her forearm as she asked, "Did something happen? I noticed the Princess storming off..."

Instead of immediately answering Penelo's question, Andrew caused her already ruddy complexion to deepen as he tapped his thigh. In response, Penelo swallowed nervously, suppressing the urge to point out that she was caked in sweat to climb onto Andrew's lap and link her arms around his body.

Cupping the pig-tailed girl's perky ass and giving it a playful squeeze, Andrew mused, "You've been working hard these past few days. I feel you're overdue for a reward. Tell me what you desire, and if it's within my power to bestow, it shall be yours..."

Swallowing a second time, Penelo answered, "I'm fine with this..." before strengthening her hold on Andrew's body and meekly appending, "But if you insist that I ask for something more...I wouldn't mind going shopping or spending more time together..."

Exhaling through his nose and adopting an affectionate smile, Andrew playfully remarked, "And here I mistakenly believed you couldn't get any more adorable..."

Blushing to the tips of her ears, Penelo wanted to protest, but no words came out of her mouth. Instead, as she parted her lips and stared up at Andrew with moist eyes full of longing, he lowered his face and rewarded her with a kiss. He still needed to search for Vossler, but with Ashe taking 'very' long baths, Andrew created a soundproof bubble and cast Hastega on himself and Penelo, drastically accelerating their perception of time to ensure they had plenty...

...

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